The invention concerns a device for the transportation of a length of cloth, with a slide face on which the length of cloth, laid out flat, can be moved, and at least two conveying belts, each disposed so that they run in the direction of conveyance, the first conveying belt being disposed in front of the second conveying belt in the direction of conveyance and, for the purpose of the transmission of a conveying motion, at least the second conveying belt being able to be brought into contact with the length of cloth from above.
Devices of this kind are used, for example, where there is a need to handle or transport lengths of cloth which are laid out flat, for example, in order to transport the lengths of cloth from one processing station to a subsequent one, or for transportation within the processing stations. Provided in the device is an appropriately dimensioned slide face, for example a sufficiently smooth table top on which the length of cloth can be moved. For the purpose of transmitting to the length of cloth the force required for advancing the length of cloth in this slide region, use can be made of conveying belts which are disposed so that they run in the direction of conveyance and can be brought into contact with the length of cloth from above. As a result, the length of cloth can thus be pressed against the slide face by the conveying belt contacting it from above, the conveying motion of the conveying belt being transmitted to the length of cloth due to the frictional forces acting between the conveying belt and the length of cloth. In total, therefore, the conveying belt performs two functions, namely, the transmission of the conveying motion to the length of cloth, as the first, and the securing of the position of the length of cloth, particularly of a substantially fold-free, flat laying-out, as the second. Known in the art, for the purpose of being able to convey lengths of cloth along conveyance paths of, in principle, any length, is the practice of combining together several conveying belts, these being disposed serially in the direction of conveyance. The conveying belts before the conveying belts in the slide region can also contact the length of cloth from above and operate on the same principle as those belts. It is also conceivable, however, that the conveying belts before the slide region contact the length of cloth from below and convey it forward by carrying it from below. The use of several serially disposed conveying belts is also particularly advantageous when an installation for processing the lengths of cloth is constructed from several individual stations, with at least one conveying belt for conveyance of the length of cloth then being present in each individual station and the individual stations being disposed in series in such a way that the lengths of cloth can be conveyed forward from one conveying belt to the next.
A disadvantage of the known devices with several serially disposed conveying belts, of which at least one can be brought into contact with the length of cloth from above, is the fact that the position of the length of cloth is not secured in the transition region between the conveying belts. This is because, in the transition region between the conveying belts, none of the serially disposed conveying belts comes into contact with the length of cloth, so that the layout of the length of cloth can alter in an unwanted manner between the conveying belts. This risk exists particularly when the length of cloth already has folds in certain regions as a result of production, as is the case, for example, when a frilled band is provided on the edges of the length of cloth.
The object of the present invention is to provide a new device for the transportation of a length of cloth.
According to the invention, a device is provided for the transportation of a length of cloth. The device has a slide face on which the length of cloth, laid out flat, can be moved, and at least two conveying belts, each disposed so that they run in the direction of conveyance. The first conveying belt is disposed in front of the second conveying belt in the direction of conveyance. For the purpose of the transmission of a conveying motion, at least the second conveying belt is able to be brought into contact with the length of cloth from above. Particularly according to the invention, between the serially disposed conveying belts there is provided a pressure element which can itself be brought into contact with the length of cloth from above, pressing the length of cloth against the slide face, so that the position of the length of cloth can be secured by the pressure element in the transition region between the conveying belts. This pressure element can be moved between two end positions at a feed rate which corresponds to the conveying speed of the length of cloth. As a result, a relative movement between the pressure element and the length of cloth during the conveyance of the length of cloth by the conveying belts can thus be substantially precluded. As soon as the pressure element is brought into contact with the length of cloth from above, this ensures that the region of the length of cloth which is contacted below the pressure element can be conveyed forward in the desired position froze the preceding conveying belt into the subsequent conveying belt.
According to a preferred embodiment, the extent of the pressure element in the direction of conveyance corresponds to at least half the distance between the conveying belts in the direction of conveyance.
In the conveyance of a length of cloth from one conveying belt to the subsequent conveying belt, it is the side edges facing towards the direction of conveyance that are particularly liable to disturbance. For example, if the side edge of a length of cloth projects slightly upwards after leaving the first conveying belt, this can impair the clean feeding-in of the length of cloth into the subsequent conveying belt. It is therefore particularly advantageous if the pressure element is disposed in such a way that it can be brought into contact in the region of a side edge of the length of cloth, so that disturbances can be prevented in the transfer of this side edge from one conveying belt to the next.
Essentially, for the purpose of securing the position of the length of cloth, it is obviously sufficient if in each case at least one of the conveying elements, namely, either one of the serially disposed conveying belts or the pressure element, is brought into contact in a region. A greater process reliability is achieved, however, if, in its end positions, the pressure element in each case has at least a slight overlap with the serially disposed conveying belts. For this purpose, the pressure element can be disposed in such a way, for example, that a lateral offset is created between the pressure element and the serially disposed conveying belts, so that, in the end positions, the pressure element can come to lie next to the conveying belts, at least in the region of its ends.
Essentially, lengths of any type of cloth can be handled by means of a device according to the invention. The use of a device according to the invention is particularly advantageous in the case of lengths of cloth which are formed from two strips of material, the strips of material being joined together by a seam running substantially perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of the conveying belts. In the handling or transportation of such lengths of cloth, the pressure element can be advantageously disposed in such a way that the first strip of material can be brought into contact with the pressure clement. In the region of the transition between the two strips of material, in particular, disturbances can occur in the transfer of the length of cloth from the front conveying belt to the conveying belt behind it. If the first strip of material is pressed against the slide face by the pressure element during transition, disturbance can be precluded to a large extent.
Particularly liable to disturbance is the conveyance of lengths of cloth in which one of the strips of material is joined to the other strip of material by means of a seam with the formation of a plurality of folds. This is the case, for example, when a frilled band is sewn on to a strip of material with a flat surface. Due to the plurality of folds of the second strip of material, disturbances can easily occur when the strip of material comprising the folds is fed in. These disturbances can be prevented if this strip of material is pressed flat against the slide face by the pressure element during the feed-in between the conveying belt and the slide face. The pressure element presses the folds of the strip of the material together in the region of the feed-in between the slide face and the conveying belt, so that the strip of material does not project upwards in this region and can thus be drawn in cleanly. In addition, the pressure element can prevent an unwanted alteration of the position of the side edges of the length of cloth in the region of the folded strip of material. This is of benefit particularly if the length of cloth is to be transported from a preceding work station to a hemming device. The position of the side edges to be hemmed is secured by the conveying belts in the preceding work station. If the length of cloth is transferred to the conveying belts of the hemming device without securing of the position of the side edges to be hemmed in the region of the folded strip of material, there is a risk, due to the folding of the strip of material, that the side edge to be hemmed will move in an undesired manner and thus cause disturbances in the hemming device.
In order that the position of, in particular, strips of material comprising folds can be reliably secured upon transfer, the extent of the pressure element in the direction of conveyance can correspond at least to the width of the strip of material comprising the folding. This ensures, in particular, that the position a side edge of a length of cloth to be hemmed can be secured along the entire strip of material comprising the folding during the transfer between the conveying belts.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first conveying belt is disposed in such a way that it comes into contact solely with one of the strips of material in the conveying movement.
It is particularly advantageous if there is provided in the device a cutting device by means of which the length of cloth can be cut from an endless material. It is furthermore advantageous if there is provided in the device at least one hemming device by means of which a hem can be produced on an edge of the length of cloth. It is self-evident that the device can be composed of several individual work stations, for example, for cutting and hemming the length of cloth.
Since securing the position of an edge of the length of cloth to be hemmed is of particular importance in the transfer between two conveying belts due to the fact that only a cleanly aligned side edge can be cleanly hemmed, it is particularly advantageous if in each case a pressure element can be brought into contact with the length of cloth in the region of a side edge which is to be hemmed, so that, upon transfer between two serially disposed conveying belts, this side edge does not undergo any unwanted change of position.
Essentially, it is sufficient if, for the transportation of the length of cloth, at least one conveying belt in each case can be brought into contact with the length of cloth from above. The width of this conveying belt must be selected so that reliable transportation of the length of cloth is assured. It is particularly advantageous, however, if at least one further conveying belt, running in the direction of conveyance, is in each case disposed in parallel to a conveying belt. In the transportation of the length of cloth, these adjacently disposed parallel conveying belts then work together in that in each case the force required for transporting the length of cloth is transmitted by the individual conveying belts, distributed over the width of the length of cloth. Thus, through combining several conveying belts of essentially the same construction, each of a relatively small width, it is possible to assure the transportation of lengths of cloth of any required width.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.